City's $7 golfing fee is discriminatory

According to the history of Hawaii, a $5 poll tax was imposed to be eligible to vote. This tax was found to be discriminatory and was later abolished.

The city has imposed a type of discrimination by charging an extra $7 to golf at West Loch and Ewa Villages municipal golf courses, without the City Council's approval.

Municipal golf courses were built with our tax money and should be available to all golfers without charging the extra $7.

The other three counties allow golfers the option to ride or walk to play at their municipal golf courses.

The Legal Aid Society told me to hire a private attorney to fight the practice. But I'm a retiree with limited funds, and litigation against this administration would be too costly.

Harry Choi

Missouri memorial group did present a wreath

In his Dec. 16 letter, Donald Barnhart -- who for some reason seems to be an ardent opponent of the USS Missouri Memorial Association -- implied that the association did not present a wreath at the Dec. 7 commemorative ceremony on the Arizona Memorial. This is absolutely untrue!

Ret. Vice Adm. Robert Kihune and I, on behalf of the association, presented a wreath during the ceremony and, as is the custom, we each dropped a flower from that wreath into the hallowed waters to honor those brave sailors who died on Dec. 7, 1941.

Furthermore, the association's participation was appropriately listed in the ceremony's program. Thus, for Barnhart to insinuate that we slighted the memory of Arizona was not only incorrect but totally out of line.

The Missouri will arrive in Hawaii next May. This historic battleship, on whose deck World War II officially came to an end, will be permanently moored at Pearl Harbor, a respectful distance from the Arizona.

Missouri, standing perpetual watch over her fallen sister ship and the brave men entombed, will be a moving tribute to the men and women of our armed forces who have fought and sacrificed to preserve America's freedom.

Ed Carter
Chairman of the Board
USS Missouri Memorial Association

The good and bad news about new Nike building

Our thanks to whoever is responsible for the beautiful landscaping of the new Nike building in Waikiki.

But when are they going to take down that ugly scaffolding?

Catherine Kaneshiro
Nanakuli

Guns, not warped values, caused Kentucky killings

In her Dec. 11 letter, Janice Judd wrote that the Kentucky school killings show the need for Christian values. However, the young killer himself was a Christian from a family that regularly attended church. Yet this did not prevent him from planning and committing this tragic and outrageous act.

The real cause of these terrible unprovoked killings in our society is guns, and the violent "entertainment" that encourages young and insane people to use them on innocent people.

There have been random school shootings in Mississippi, Kentucky and Arkansas (the Bible Belt). There is no way that these crazy kids could maim and kill so many without guns.

A motto of the National Rifle Association is "Guns don't kill people. People kill people." Yes, people with guns. And the entertainment industry tells them just how to do it.

With all of our wealth and technology, we have produced the most violent society in the world.

Nancy Bey Little
Mililani

Oxymoronic acronym known as CPS in Hawaii

The latest oxymoron: "Child Protective Services."

Ted Chernin

The Jones Act deprives consumers of free choice

R.J. Pfeiffer, who proclaims himself to be a lifelong Republican, gave a brilliant and articulate defense of the Jones Act, the federal regulation that protects his former company from foreign competition (Viewpoint, Dec. 26).

One glaring omission from his essay, though, was any mention that the Jones Act deprives consumers of freedom of choice. Perhaps this is one reason why other Republicans have trouble convincing the public that they are sincere champions of the free market.

Pfeiffer also states that the Jones Act has been supported politically by Presidents Clinton, Bush, Reagan, Carter and Ford. Surely this explains why people in other nations had trouble believing the lip service that these men gave to free market ideals.

If U.S. leaders don't practice what they preach to the world, why should others?

Ken Schoolland
Waipahu

Filterless cigarettes would cut down on litter

Our fourth visit here. Love it. We walk the Kuhio Beach every day, picking up the odd shells for a friend's daughter.

But those horrible cigarette filters littering the beach. Horrible. Our suggestion is to ban the filter butt! Allow six months for a change in method, then ban the butt. Those who wish to smoke, let them use cigarette holders. It was once very fashionable to smoke using such a holder.

For the record, I used tobacco for some 40 years until I quit. I don't mind those who still puff the weed. But filters mess everything up.

Harv and Lee Herzog
Burnaby, B.C., Canada

The Bible doesn't mean no one should be judged

It is common to misinterpret the scripture's admonition on judging others, as did letter writer Richard Miles. In his Dec. 18 letter, he quoted the familiar verse when asserting that liberal syndicated columnist Leonard Larsen should not have judged President Kennedy as being unworthy of adulation.

The key point of the scripture, "lest you be judged," cautions against judging others when we ourselves might be guilty of the same thing. But with Miles' reasoning, no one should be judged.

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